Allied Siding & Windows

Allied Siding and Windows job went very well. They did a good job and there was one small but where we didn't like what they did and they came back and fixed it with no charge.

Far too many hand offs from sales to estimator to field supervisor who was rarely on location. Failed to completely assess the tools and equipment to satisfactorily complete the jobs. Allied failed to properly clean up the yard after installation of the new gutters resulting in dangerous debris in yard (nails, old gutter components, etc.). I personally went to Allied's office in Tomball and met with senior management. They offered no remorse nor restitution.

.Salesman very personable, brought in window demos that clearly showed differences and gave us credit for referral from a neighbor. Took about 3 weeks for windows to come in. Technicians removed old windows, were neat in cleaning up. Unfortunately, a window had the wrong glass and had to be reordered, but was easily replaced in two weeks. Though somewhat expensive, we're happy with the overall experience and expect some benefit from lower AC usage upstairs.

They were really nice but they were kind of expensive, though you do get a lifetime warranty with it. They were always prompt and on time, there was no pressure. They had limited color options. I like dark frames but they didn't have those.

We had a little disagreement with them as we signed a contract but they sent out a subcontractor, the problem was that there was some things done that were not in the contract but overall the quality of the work is good. They did promise us a free TV after two years of staying with them and we still haven't received it. Make sure if you use this contractor to write specifically what you want!

Really bad- nobody showed up and I lost 3 hours of my life and cancelled other appointments to sit and get frustrated.

They were on time, they cleaned up after themselves, they job went as expected, and they were done in less than a day. I had no complaints.

The rear half of the windows were replaced approx 8 months ago. This went well with the exception of one window valance clip broke when being removed. Installer said he would return with replacement clips. After several calls to Allied was told it would be quicker if I went to Home Depot and purchased clip and replaced myself which I did. The front windows were installed early April and the crew that showed up was an American, 1 interpreter and 4 non-english speaking workers. I did not have a good feeling about this and questioned the supervisor. He said they had been with him for years. I called Allied and told the receptionist of my concerns and asked that the salesman call me. After approx 20 minutes I had not received a call so allowed the work to begin. Now when I look at the windows I think of all the unemployed window installers and that Allied in my opinion used undocumented workers avoiding benefits, salaries and taxes.

Did a great job. Did it for what they said they would do it for. Cleaned up every day. Top 10% of contractors I've ever used.

I would use them again in the future.

The door was not a standard size (house built in 85 or so) so it took a bit longer than expected due to ordering, but all was well. The installer (Eddie) was prompt and courteous and worked very well. We were so pleased. Pricing was in the same ballpark as other companies - we did get a couple other quotes since it's a lot of $. We are 100% certain it was the best value for us. Payment not made until job completed.

It was a fine experience. The only negative I would say is when they replaced the windows he did not give me a heads up on how much fine particles of dust would come into my house. I would have covered all of my electronics and a lot more stuff than I did. It didn't get covered inside my house and I just had layers of fine misty powdery dust in my house. They did good work.

The crew was very polite and professional. While Allied Windows and Siding was the contractor they did not provide any supervisory function of the sub-contractors at the job site. The window installation was good. The James Hardie siding was not installed to the specification noted in the Allied Windows and Siding contract. When this issue was identified to the Allied sales person he was notably quiet/absent. The quality of the exterior painting is still in question. The siding, currently, has visible high and low sheen areas suggesting either a paint or application issue. Allied Windows and Siding has committed to resolve the paint issue, if needed after a 30 day curing time.

They did a really good job. Darryn Finn, the production manager, arranged the crew and they did a really great job.

They were fantastic. The experience was wonderful. The technicians (four) were so professional and organized; everyone knew their job and cleaned up well afterwards. They charged us what they said they would and completed the work within the time-frame that was quoted. The price was a little high but the quality of the work was great. They just did a really great job. I'm so happy with their services and I've already recommended them to others.

They did the work that they promised to do in a timely and professional manner. They cleaned up well. The workers were great. Overall, my experience was excellent. Their price was cheaper than the other estimate we got.

The experience was very good from beginning to end. The sales rep presented replacement options - and was very professional. - no pressure. He explained, in detail, the next steps where technicians would schedule visits for precise measurements and to perform a test for lead paint. I was very impressed with Allied's ‘project management’ approach to the installation process. A company representative contacted me the following day to inform me who would be coming to the house, the person with overall responsibility for the project and contact information if I had any questions or issues. The windows were delivered exactly as scheduled. The installers were professional and courteous. Most important they were very detail oriented and took time to ensure each window fit and functioned correctly. They thoroughly cleaned the work areas (inside and out) and took time to demonstrate window features. When all work was completed I was asked to complete a ‘report card’ on the work, and received a follow-up call from Allied to confirm satisfaction. I am pleased with the Simonton low-e windows – they greatly reduced the outside noise and the house was much more comfortable during February’s cold snap. .

Their service was excellent! They were very neat and professional. My attic is low and difficult to work in, but the workers never complained. They were clean, efficient, and timely. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

I had to ask twice to get a quote before they responded. After that they forgot about me so I had to remind them again. The quote was 5 days later than they promised and the price was about $1500 higher than any other quote.

The process was quite acceptable from start to finish. My wife and I both met with the sales rep, who was very pleasant and not high pressure at all. We first met with the sales reps from Allied and two other replacement window companies in mid-October. We ultimately decided to purchase 6 Simonton Generations Windows that qualify for the energy tax credit. The installation was performed on schedule and my wife found the installers to be very courteous and professional. The windows were custom measured and fit perfectly. Upon completion of the installation, the area was cleaned and the existing window blinds were reinstalled. The installation was completed at night, so none of us immediately notice that 4 of the 6 screens had small gaps at several places around the edge. We called the installer a few days later, once we noticed the defect, and he was quick to schedule a time to come out and repair the screens.

I interviewed 5 companies/individuals. I talked to (but excluded) the major building supply warehouses because they used subcontractors, rather than employees, for window installation. I asked all competitors how long they and/or their crews had been installing windows. I did not want any fly-by-night operators. The first decision was vinyl versus fiberglass. It took a lot of research on the internet to find out that in South Texas good quality vinyl does as well as fiberglass. Up north where temperature variations are more extreme, fiberglass is the better choice, if you can afford the extra cost. I would have liked to have fiberglass since it could be painted in the future, but that advantage did not outweigh the higher cost. That reduced the choice to 4 competitors. I decided that I wanted to go with a larger company, instead of an individual working by himself or with one other person, because of the liability insurance issue, the need to be sure the company was going to be around for more than a year or two in case I had problems in the future, and I wanted a larger crew of 3 or 4 people (rather than 1 or 2 people) so the job would be done quickly and I wouldn't have to take a whole day off work. That reduced my choice to 2 companies. Both had good ratings at the BBB. Both sold windows manufactured by companies that were well known and that various websites indicated were decent brands (no major issues noted about the manufacturers during my research). I finally chose Allied because they had the lower bid and the sales rep did not give me the 'hard sell' like the competing company's rep. Everyone I talked to at Allied (sales rep, phone conversations to schedule appts, installers, etc.) was very polite and professional. The installers put down plenty of tarps which made clean up quicker and easier. They did a very good job of cleaning up. I was very pleased with the service, but there were 2 bumps in the road during the process. (1) It wasn't until after I signed the contract that I was told there would be a $275 fee for testing for lead paint, which is required for any home built prior to 1978. This cost was in addition to the price on the contract. I knew I would have to have lead paint testing, but I did not know it would cost extra. Advice for other people getting bids on window installation - make sure you ask about any additional fees for lead paint testing (if applicable), taking down and putting back up curtains, blinds and other window treatments, etc. The other competitor told me that the installers would put my curtains and blinds back up for a small fee. (2) During installation, they realized they had the wrong size window for 1 of the 6 windows. It was 2 inches too small. They did not realize this until after they had removed the old window. This was a major problem. I agreed they should install the smaller window (using strips of wood to seal it in) so I did not have a blank piece of plywood.

I had a problem with 3 windows from the manufacturer, and they took care of it right away. They cleaned up each day after the work was done. I had no problems with them or any of the windows.

This project started out with the goal of improving the energy efficiency of our house. The existing siding was masonite and had rotted in several places, we had issues with algae etc. The sales person (Fred Kirkpatrick) was very friendly and pleasant, and we had a good discussion and understanding of the intended work. He made a lot of promises on what would happen, and what would *not* happen during the installation. Promises made: * Replace our existing doors with the doors we provided for no charge. * Replace all of the garage siding and 2 sides of the house with hardiplank. * Workers would not ask for water and to use our bathrooms * Replace rotted insulation as needed for no charge, unless we wanted all of the insulation replaced. * Multiple magnetic sweeps of the area around the house for no charge * Workers would not ask to borrow tools etc. * Workers would not be going in and out of our house unnecessarily. * Workers would be respectful of our situation with our cats, would not leave doors open etc. * There would *always* be someone onsite who spoke English. * Our landscaping etc. would not be damaged, and they would replace any that they did damage. * All of the workers trained yearly on the hardiplank installation to always be up to date on the work they did. * They would take care of the HOA approval etc. * They would only open one window at a time for replacement because of the cats. We met with the foreman (Dewey LeBouche) prior to the work beginning to discuss everything etc. Everything looked good. The workers did a fantastic job on the quality of the installation. The issues started creeping up with the supervisor (George) and the foreman (Dewey). At first, the workers were not cautious about the cats etc. and we spoke to the supervisor about it. He spoke to the workers, and from then on when the workers were busy, (At one point, one of them sprinted across the yard to close a door that had been left open and he semi-yelled at the guy who did leave it open). They taped the cat enclosure door shut to make sure that the cats could not get out etc. The real problems started when the supervisor or foreman *were* around. The workers would suddenly stop focusing on their care of the cat situation, when the supervisor or foreman *was* there. The supervisor was completely inattentive to the cat situation. We saw him leave doors open etc. even after telling the workers not to do that. There were several occasions that the supervisor left for multiple hours at a time, and left no one around who could speak English. During the times when the supervisor and foreman were gone, the workers were *great* about the cat situation. At one point, during the window installation, the workers broke out one of the windows (expected) but then because of the supervisor, the left it open and broken while they ate lunch. This was a big problem, because I had to basically babysit that window to make sure our cats did not approach it or try to get out. During the installation, we found several places in the walls that did *not* have any insulation, and several places that had it rotted out. We decided to just replace all of it. I spoke to the supervisor about what type of insulation to buy, and he gave me an answer. I spoke to a second supervisor (Julio) about how much I needed, and he gave me an answer. Both answers were wrong. The wall insulation I had bought was too thick (2x6) and the amount I bought was 800 square feet. I found out after the fact that I needed 2x4 insulation and had bought almost 2x as much as I actually needed. I had to make multiple trips to the store to swap them out for the correct size and amount. Finally, at the end of the week, they were supposed to paint the front of my house to match the rest. Dewey had specifically instructed the supervisors and workers to NOT paint the front of the house. My contract actually had some mistakes in it, calling for the installation of 3 sides of hardiplank and "paint the fence" which at the beginning meant the breezeway fence. I spoke to the supervisors about this, and eventually to Dewey, who claimed that his paperwork didn't show that which was a lie. I called Fred to complain about this, because it was NOT what we had agreed on, and I left him a message. There was a lot of back and forth but Dewey refused to allow the painting of the front of my house. At that point, I called Fred again to complain and told him that I would force the issue with a lawyer because my contract was not being fulfilled. He mentioned that it was not what we agreed on verbally, and I pointed out that my contract specifically said that 'verbal contracts do not apply' and that I fully expected to have my full fence painted and the 3rd side of hardiplank installed, since they refused to paint the front. I ended up meeting with Fred and he tried to push me to live up to what we agreed on, I told him flat out that as long as they were going to not finish the front of my house, then I would push the issue and make sure that they had to do everything that was in my contract. He thought the front of the house looked terrible and completely unfinished. (Which it did of course). We eventually came to an agreement on it (again verbally) and he offered to have Dewey come back out to get the painting finished, and I refused to allow that. We got Julio back out, and he and another worker finished the front painting in about 2 hours. Ultimately, their mistakes in the contract gave me the leverage I needed to complete the work on my house, but this was a massive amount of stress. The quality of the work was excellent, the professionalism of Fred was not very good, but not terrible, and Dewey's professionalism was horrible. I had to make multiple threats of lawyers and bad press in order to get them to hold up to their promises. Promises kept/broken: * Replace our existing doors with the doors we provided for no charge. [Kept] * Replace all of the garage siding and 2 sides of the house with hardiplank. [Kept] * Workers would not ask for water and to use our bathrooms [Kept] * Replace rotted insulation as needed for no charge, unless we wanted all of the insulation replaced. [Kept] * Multiple magnetic sweeps of the area around the house for no charge [Broken] * Workers would not ask to borrow tools etc. [Broken - they borrowed a lopper to cut off some branches, and left it in the dirt. I eventually found it rusted and useless] * Workers would not be going in and out of our house unnecessarily. [Broken] * Workers would be respectful of our situation with our cats, would not leave doors open etc. [Only kept while the supervisor and foreman were NOT around] * There would *always* be someone onsite who spoke English. [Broken] * Our landscaping etc. would not be damaged, and they would replace any that they did damage. [Broken - they destroyed a section of our grass and did not replace it] * All of the workers trained yearly on the hardiplank installation to always be up to date on the work they did. [Kept to the best of my knowledge] * They would take care of the HOA approval etc. [Kept] Overall, I might use them again, but will never allow Dewey or George back on my property. I believe they were the source of most of the issues that I had. The workmanship quality was top-notch though. I would add language to my contract to prevent charges for delays etc. on the project so that I could put a halt to it in the case they started breaking promises (which would also be in writing next time).

We called four companies to come out and give us bids to replace our wood trim and fascia on the whole house. Three of the four were very close in price, Allied being one of them. What set them apart was the detail on their bid. We ended up using their detail to question the work to be performed by the other bidders. They started the work about two weeks after we returned the signed bid. It took them 3 days to complete the work. They were very thorough and did quality work. The job supervisor discussed the days work with us at the end of each day. Upon completion, the supervisor walked the perimeter with my husband to check the work and answer any questions before taking money for the job.

I am extremely pleased with them. They were extremely professional. I was absolutely amazed that they could remove all of the windows in my home without leaving a mess. When they left you could have eaten off the floors. I couldn’t be happier with their work.